SINGAPORE: In recent weeks, I have heard the spectre of complacency as a threat to Singapore’s future raised numerous times. Yet, if Singaporeans can come across as complacent, it might be hard to blame us. Singapore might very well be a victim of its own success. Decades of peace and prosperity have accustomed us to a country that functions well, raising expectations that the country will naturally avoid any major disruption afflicting the rest of the world, or that the government will fix any problems that come our way.Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing has highlighted complacency as a major concern in a number of separate forums recently.The latest was at a conference on Aug 3 where Mr Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, warned that complacency could dull Singapore's ability to respond to emerging threats and navigate an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.
WHEN SECURITY THREATS FEEL REMOTEThe potential consequences of complacency are the most stark in national defence. My parents and their peers in the Pioneer Generation bore witness to turbulent times, including separation from Malaysia and challenging early years of independence as Singapore sought to establish its place in the world.Subsequent generations have enjoyed progressively improved conditions, with nominal gross domestic product per capita – a gauge of national prosperity, economic productivity and general standard of living – surging from US$500 at independence to among the highest in the world, at over US$100,000 currently.Prosperity and peace began to feel familiar. If peace makes the threat of conflict feel remote, the worry is that people may become less willing to bear the costs of preparing for it.Drawing parallels with the Russia-Ukraine war, Mr Chan pointed out that many in Ukraine did not believe that war would happen – or rather, chose not to believe the warning signs that existed before fighting broke out. Many people failed to act on them, a reminder of how quickly assumptions built during relative peace can be overturned.
